Witch Doctor

(Homebrew class)

A wild mage of less civilized cultures, the witch doctor is a force to be wary of. Her spells and curses can quickly turn
the tide of any battle.

Hit die
D4

Alignment
Any

Skill points
4 + Int

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the witch doctor.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:Witch doctors are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart,
quarterstaff, scimitar, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear.
Witch doctors are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they
may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. (A witch doctor may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by
the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description)
Witch doctors are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.
A witch doctor who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast spells or use any of her
supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

Spells: Witch doctors choose their spells from the following list:
0— Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Guidance, Know Direction, Light, Mending,
Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic. Resistance, Virtue
1st— Bane, Bless, Bless Water, Calm Animals, Cause Fear, Chill Touch, Command, Curse Water, Cure Light Wounds,
Deathwatch, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Chaos, Detect Good, Detect Law, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Doom,
Endure Elements, Entangle, Entropic Shield, Faerie Fire, Goodberry, Hide from Animals, Hide from Undead, Inflict
Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Obscuring Mist, Pass without Trace, Remove Fear, Speak with Animals, Summon Nature's
Ally I
2nd— Aid, Animal Trance, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Calm Emotions, Cat's Grace, Chill Metal,
Consecrate, Cure Moderate Wounds, Darkness, Death Knell, Delay Poison, Desecrate, Eagle's Splendor, Enthrall, Fog
Cloud, Gentle Repose, Ghoul Touch, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Hideous Laughter, Hold Animal, Hold Person, Inflict
Moderate Wounds, Owl's Wisdom, Resist Energy, Restoration, Lesser, Shatter, Scare, Silence, Soften Earth and Stone,
Summon Nature's Ally II, Summon Swarm, Vampiric Touch, Warp Wood, Web, Wood Shape, Zone of Truth
3rd— Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Contagion, Cure Moderate Wounds, Daylight, Deeper
Darkness, Diminish Plants, Dominate Animal, Neutralize Poison, Nondetection, Plant Growth, Poison, Protection from
Energy, Quench, Remove Disease, Snare, Speak with Plants, Spike Growth, Stone Shape, Suggestion, Summon Nature's
Ally III, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Speak with Dead, Water Breathing, Wind Wall
4th— Air Walk, Antiplant Shell, Blight, Command Plants, Control Water, Crushing Despair, Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel
Magic, Divination, Divine Power, Enervation, Fear, Freedom of Movement, Giant Vermin, Hallucinatory Terrain,
Phantasmal Killer, Reincarnate, Repel Vermin, Restoration, Rusting Grasp, Scrying, Spike Stones, Summon Nature's
Ally IV
5th— Animal Growth, Atonement, Awaken, Break Enchantment, Commune with Nature, Control Winds, Cure Critical
Wounds, Death Ward, Dream, False Vision, Dominate Person, Feeblemind, Hallow, Hold Monster, Insect Plague, Mind
Fog, Mirage Arcana, Nightmare, Raise Dead , Seeming, Shadow Evocation, Slay Living, Summon Nature's Ally V,
Transmute Mud to Rock, Transmute Rock to Mud, Unhallow, Wall of Thorns, Waves of Fatigue
6th— Antilife Shell, Bear's Endurance, Mass, Bull's Strength, Mass, Cat's Grace, Mass, Cure Light Wounds, Mass, Dispel
Magic, Greater, Eyebite, Find the Path, Fire Seeds, Flesh to Stone , Harm, Ironwood, Liveoak, Move Earth, Owl's
Wisdom, Mass, Repel Wood, Spellstaff, Stone Tell, Stone to Flesh, Summon Nature's Ally VI, Wall of Stone
7th— Animate Plants, Blasphemy, Changestaff, Control Weather, Creeping Doom, Destruction, Dictum, Holy Word,
Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass, Heal, Hold Person, Mass, Power Word Blind, Scrying, Greater, Resurrection, Shadow
Conjuration, Greater, Summon Nature's Ally VII, Sunbeam, Transmute Metal to Wood, True Seeing, Vision, Wind Walk,
Word of Chaos
8th—Cloak of Chaos, Control Plants, Cure Serious Wounds, Mass, Earthquake, Finger of Death, Holy Aura, Horrid
Wilting, Maddening Scream, Mind Blank, Power Word Stun, Repel Metal or Stone, Reverse Gravity, Shadow Evocation,
Greater, Shield of Law, Summon Nature's Ally VIII, Sunburst, Trap the Soul, Unholy Aura, Whirlwind, Word of Recall
9th— Antipathy, Cure Critical Wounds, Mass, Energy Drain, Etherealness, Elemental Swarm, Foresight, Freedom, Heal,
Mass, Imprisonment, Miracle, Regenerate, Shades, Shambler, Soul Bind, Summon Nature's Ally IX, Sympathy, True
Resurrection, Weird
Spells Retrieved: A witch doctor casts divine spells from the witch doctor spell list spell list. She can cast any spell
she has retrieved, just like a spirit shaman (Complete Divine), much like a bard or sorcerer can cast any spell she
knows without preparing it ahead of time. To retrieve or cast a spell, a witch doctor must have a Wisdom score of at
least 10 + the spell level (Wisdom 10 for 0-level spells, Wisdom 11 for 1st-level spells, and so on). The Difficulty Class
for a saving throw against a witch doctor's spell is 10 + the spell level + the witch doctor's Charisma modifier. Like
other spellcasters, a witch doctor can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily
spell allotment is given above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. Like a
sorcerer, a witch doctor knows only a small number of spells. However, each day a witch doctor may change the spells
she knows. When a witch doctor meditates to regain her daily allotment of spells (see below), she sends forth her
spirit guide to bargain with the spirits and retrieve knowledge of the specific spells she will be able to use that day.
She can cast any spell she has retrieved at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell
level. If a witch doctor knows any metamagic feats, she applies them to her spells when she retrieves her spells for
the day. For example, a witch doctor might choose to retrieve an empowered chill metal by using a 6th-level spell
retrieved slot. Any time she uses chill metal during the ensuing day, she must use a 6th-level spell slot to cast it, and
it is always empowered. A witch doctor could use a 4th-level spell slot and a 6th-level spell slot to retrieve chill metal
and empowered chill metal if she wanted to have both spells available to her in a day. A witch doctor cannot choose
to alter her spells with metamagic feats on the fly, as other spontaneous casters do. Witch doctor using metamagic
feats do not have an increased casting time as sorcerers do.

Each witch doctor must choose a time at which she must spend 1 hour in quiet meditation to regain her daily
allotment of spells and bargain with the spirits for the specific spells she knows on that day.

Spontaneous Casting: A witch doctor can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn’t prepared
ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level.
Additionally, a witch doctor always may spontaneously cast any spell from her domain just as she would spontaneously
cast a summon nature's ally spell.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A witch doctor can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her
deity’s (if she has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law
descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Turn or Rebuke Spirits (Su): Any witch doctor, regardless of alignment, has the power to affect spirits creatures by
channeling the power of her faith through her holy (or unholy) symbol (see Turn or Rebuke Undead). In this case,
spirits are any of the following:
• Incorporeal Undead
• Fey
• Elementals
• Extraplanar Outsiders
• Creatures in astral form or with astral bodies (but not a creature physically present on the Astral Plane)
• Creatures with the spirit subtype

A good witch doctor can turn spirits. An evil witch doctor instead rebukes such creatures. A neutral witch doctor must
choose whether her turning ability functions as a turn or rebuke. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. A
witch doctor may attempt to turn spirits a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. A witch
doctor with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion) gets a +2 bonus on turning checks against spirits.

Cursed Doll (Su): At first level, once per day a witch doctor may create a doll. The doll is typically constructed of
clay, cloth, or some other simple material such that its cost is negligible and it has no defining features other than a
basic anatomy. It's through these dolls that the witch doctor casts her curses. As a full round action, a witch doctor
may attempt to use the doll to curse a target within medium range that she can see. Said creature must make a will
save equal to the DC the spell would have if it allowed a save or affected by the curse. A cursed creature is bound to
the doll such that magical effects (both positive and negative) cast on the doll also affect the bound creature. If the
magical ability allows a save then the cursed creature gets a +2 bonus on whatever saving throw is involved. If the
ability doesn't allow a save, then the creature gets a will save (DC = 15 + 1/2 level + Cha) to negate the effect. If
affected by the curse, the creature remains affected even if they move out of medium range. If the creature travels
to a separate plane, they remain cursed but cannot affected by any of the curses abilities until they are on the same
plane as the witch doctor. Any creature that succeeds the save is immune to all witch doctors curses for one minute.
Remove curse instantly frees a creature from a witch doctor's curse and destroys the doll she was using. Similarly,
destroying a witch doctor's doll frees the person bound to that doll. Initially, only one target may be cursed at a time,
regardless of how many dolls are in the witch doctor's possession. The witch doctor may willingly free a target from
the curse as a free action. This is not a mind affecting ability thus mindless creatures are not immune to it although
creatures with the swarm subtype are. At 2nd level and every even level after that a witch doctor may create one
additional doll per day.

Voodoo Curse (Su): True to the legends of voodoo magic told about the land, a witch doctor carries a set of small pins
or needles, crafted of wood, metal, bone, etc., that have been imbued with magical power. As a free action. a witch
doctor may stab one of these needles into a doll she has created. Any creature bound to that doll takes 1d4 points of
magical piercing damage each turn the needle remains in the doll (DC = 10 + 1/2 level + Cha. Fortitutde save negates
each turn). Any creature that makes three consecutive saving throws against voodoo curse and it's derived abilities is
freed from the curse and the doll it's bound to is destroyed. A curse broken this way renders the creature immune to
all witch doctor curses for 1d4 minutes.
Starting at 1st the witch doctor may stick a maximum of one pin total into her cursed dolls and one additional pin
every three levels hereafter. If she tries to use more needles than she's typically able, the creature she was
attempting to pin is freed and the doll bound to that creature is destroyed. Curse damage is magical in nature and
overcomes DR related to material (e.g. mithril, adamantine, cold iron), but not alignment (e.g. good, lawful, chaotic,
or evil), damage type (e.g. slashing or bludgeoning), or DR/-. The effective enhancement bonus of the needles is
equal 1 + 1/5 the witch doctor's CL. This is for the purpose of damaging a creature that .has damage reduction based
on weapon enhancement (e.g. DR 10/+3).

Mumbo Jumbo (Sp): A master of presentation, at 2nd level witch doctor may use daze, flare, and prestidigitation at
will.

Blood Component (Su): At 3rd level, a witch doctor can substitute a drop of their own blood for a spell's material
component (if any), and in so doing increase the spell's power. The pinprick or minor knife cut to draw the requisite
blood is a free action (just like using a material component) that becomes a normal part of casting the spell. Using
this ability deals 1 point of damage to the witch doctor but raises the spell's caster level by 1. Damage reduction
doesn't apply to this damage. If a spell has a costly material component (greater than 1 gp), the witch doctor must
still provide it but can use this ability to enhance the spell she desires. She can similarly enhance a spell that has no
material component.

Omen (Sp): At 6th level, a foreboding sense of doom travels with the witch doctor, as candle lights flicker, fresh food
turns green, or the air becomes stale. A witch doctor can use her spell-like ability prestidigitation as a swift action
instead of the normal standard action.

Blood Metamagic (Su): At 8th level, witch doctors learn the secret of how to apply a metamagic feat they know to a
spell by paying an additional cost in blood. By draining her own blood, a witch doctor can enhance her spells without
using a higher-level spell slot. The cost is a number of points of Constitution damage equal to the spell slot
adjustment of the metamagic feat. A witch doctor cannot enhance a spell to a level higher than she can cast. She may
also not use the blood of an unwilling creature for this ability though allies' blood may be used. A witch doctor cannot
select an ally immune to Con damage or an ally without a Constitution score. For purposes of this spell, a witch doctor
cannot designate a summoned or charmed being as an ally. This ability's usage is limited by its witch doctor's
constitution and cannot be used to apply more levels of metamagic than the witch doctor's Con-10 each day. For
example, a witch doctor with 15 Con may enhance up to five levels of metamagic each day, even if she restores her
constitution back to its normal max.

Doll of Flesh (Su): At 9th level, If a witch doctor incorporates a physical piece of a target (such as a finger bone, lock
of hair, or nail) into one of her dolls, that creature takes a -2 penalty to saves against curses from that doll. If that
doll is destroyed, the physical part of the target inside the doll is also destroyed.

Steal Memories (Sp): At 12th level, a witch doctor gains the ability to use speak with dead at will on any creature
killed by the effects of voodoo curse in the past 24 hours. There is no limit to the number of questions that can be
asked and creatures spoken to this way are under the effect of a zone of truthspell (DC = 10 + 1/2 level + Cha). A
witch doctor may make a sense motive check to determine if the zone of truth effect has failed. The DC equals the
creature's will save result. This is usable a number of times per day equal to the witch doctor's charisma modifier
(minimum 1/day).

Destroy Doll (Su): At 20th level, 1+Cha times per day (minimum 1), a witch doctor may cause a doll bound to a
creature to turn to ash in her hands. The creature bound to said doll must make a will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 level + Cha)
or be affected as if they'd failed the fortitude save of a finger of death spell. Creatures destroyed this way
spontaneously drop dead. A single creature may not be affected by this ability more than once per day. This ability
destroys the doll and frees the affected creature from the associated curse.

Class Skills
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex),
Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Geography, History, Nature, Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform
(Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival(Wis)

Ex-Witch Doctor
A witch doctor who ceases to revere the spirits or switches to a prohibited or alignment loses access to the
Turn/Rebuke Spirits, Mumbo Jumbo, Blood Component, Blood Metamagic, and Omen abilities and may not continue
advancing until they're of appropriate alignment again. Additionally, witch doctors cannot multiclass as devoted
religious classes such as the Cleric or any Paladin variants without losing the abilities listed above as well as Voodoo
Curse and its derived abilities. If she ceases to revere nature she must also be the the subject of an atonement spell
from a nature worshiping cleric or druidbefore she can continue progressing as a witch doctor.
 Spells per Day

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Turn Spirits, Cursed Doll,

2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Mumbo Jumbo 4 2 — — — — — — — —

3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Blood Component 4 2 1 — — — — — — —

4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Voodoo Curse 2d4 4 3 2 — — — — — — —

5th +2 +1 +1 +4 4 3 2 1 — — — — — —

6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Omen 4 3 3 2 — — — — — —

7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Voodoo Curse 3d4 4 4 3 2 1 — — — — —

8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Blood Metamagic 4 4 3 3 2 — — — — —

9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Doll of Flesh 4 4 4 3 2 1 — — — —

10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Voodoo Curse 4d4 4 4 4 3 3 2 — — — —

11th +5 +3 +3 +7 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — — —

12th +6 +4 +4 +8 Steal Memories 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 — — —

13th +6 +4 +4 +8 Voodoo Curse 5d4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — —

14th +7 +4 +4 +9 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 — —

15th +7 +5 +5 +9 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 —

16th +8 +5 +5 +10 Voodoo Curse 6d4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 —

17th +8 +5 +5 +10 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1

18th +9 +6 +6 +11 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2

19th +9 +6 +6 +11 Voodoo Curse 7d4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3

20th +10 +6 +6 +12 Destroy Doll 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4